ning hour discouraged her; and the landscape-a stretch of grey-green marsh with a horizon-line of slate-roofed cottages terminated by a singl

the Midlands; and as it steamed off, its smoke blown level along the carriage roofs, her gaze followed it wis

s the marsh. They stretched away, and with them the country seemed to expand and flatten itself, yielding to the sky an altogeth

unk, as absurdly forlorn as herself. A tall man-the stationmaster-bent over it, examin

htening himself up in time to observe the glance. "He never k

it from he

reckon it; but you may call

blushed; for indeed the country was hilly on three sides of her and fl

er confusion. "Were you expecting a

-Mr. Peter Benny." She felt

th a terrible long family. And when a man has a long family, and leaves these little thin

them were porters; the third-a young fellow in blue jersey, blue cloth trousers, and a peaked cap-was apparently persuading them to open the van, which they no sooner did than he leapt inside. Hester hear

ttage on the slope behind. "No favour at all. I'm just going back to breakfast, and it won't take me a minute to fetch ou

ut I can carr

walk. But if you must, and I may make so bold, why not step over to my house and have a cup of tea before starting? The kettle's on the boil, and m

and walked some little distance with her, wheeling it. Where their ways parted he gave her the min

-roofed cottages; and as she mounted this rise the wind met her more strongly, and with more of that tonic sharpness she had shrunk from a while ago. It was shrewd, yet she felt that it was also wholesome. Above the cottage roofs she

grey-blue; and her first sensation was wonder at its bare simplicity. She rested her bag

sorbed that the sound of footsteps on the road drew near an

ss, but that bag is heav

t her, not strong, but deliciously clean and fragrant. It came from a

ered, in some confusion. "I-I just res

of a great burden, in which Hester recognised a blackboard, an easel, a coloured globe, and sundry articles of school furniture very cleverly lashed togeth

miss. There's a terrible steep hill to go up, and a pound o

. She compressed her lip, wondering how to hint that she did not desire his company. A glance told her that he was entirely

uldn' possibly be in the van. But I wasn't going to have my walk for nothing

stoop gave his eyes, when he smiled, an innocent roguish slant. Hester noted that he wo

ng with a blackboard

r and keeps school. Tidy little outlay for her, all thi

School?-since she is buyin

there, miss: we're the Opposition." He laug

a teach

w it to be ridiculous. A teacher, in blue jersey

s with pride: of what it meant she had not the ghost of a notion. "A man don't need scholarship in my way o' life; but

r asked, her professi

Board wouldn't look at it. Old Rosewarne, they say, had another teacher in his eye, and got her appoin

" Hester ca

vy for you, miss. Ha

ing of Mr. Jo

ut a raspin' old tyrant he was. Sing small, you might be let off and call yourself lucky

, and the tall hedgerows shut out the sea; but its far roar sounded in her ears. She nodded

as I tell her, she may get the billet now, after all, since the

stand. 'Gone'?

Rosewarne.

ing me that Mr. R

! I han't upset you, have I? I took it for certain that everyone knew. An

rne's letter, a second from a Mr. Peter Benny, acknowledging her acceptance of the post, and promising that she should be met on her ar

dently puzzled, and for the fourth time at least

t walk on, please; I am

s face became grave at once, but still wore its puzzled lo

m sure of that. They haven't told you. She's a

her, seekin

mysteries. But for aught I know, I am the new schoolmistress, a

sed, conside

hame it is!" he stammered

rt to let the vehicle pass, she to one side of the road, the young sailor to the other. A light spring-cart came lurching round the corner; and its driver, gla